At it's core, The Quantum Thief is a heist story, but within its post-human setting the object of the heist is nothing so simple as something like the Hope Diamond or a Casino vault. Instead we journey through theft and reclaiming of time and memory.

All-in-all, it makes for a blistering smart and layered hard sci-fi adventure.

This book had a little less specific discussion questions for me to draw out, but it was a fantastic and fascinating read. Should I actually sit down with other people who've read it, there's definitely a lot to knock about, but the questions and discussion prompts themselves are harder for me to quantify.

Discussion Fodder:

Let's talk about the Prisoner's Dilemma. What is it, and in what ways is it used in this story? What do you think of the Dilemma Prison?

What are the different ways humanity and cultures manifest in the story? How are they shaped by technology (or vice versa)?

An Oubliette is a dungeon with an opening only at the top or a place of forgetting. What is the Oubliette in this story? What are the roles of memory and privacy in this society? How do they interact? How do they shape the culture?

Today's list is slated to be Ten Books On My Spring TBR, but rather than make a TBR for spring when I’ve barely made headway into any of the others I’ve made for past Top Tens, I’m going to go with a list of the Top 10 ARCs I Desperately Need to Read ASAP (which is still a TBR, I know). I’ve been sitting on some of these ARCs for over a year, which kind of goes against the whole “reading in advance of release” thing.

Hannu Rajaniemi: Collected Fiction by Hannu Rajaniemi. I’ve dipped into it and love the style, but just haven’t been into a lot of short fiction lately.

The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss by Max Wirestone. This was requested based on one really strong review. Perhaps not the best barometer of my own interest.

The Witch of Lime Street by David Jaher. Another one that came from a strong recommendation and has yet to be cracked open.

The Builders by David Polansky. I’m really interested to see where the Tor novellas are going to go. It would help if I read the only one I’ve requested so far. Plus, talking animals.

Investigating Lois Lane by Tim Hanley. I’ve never been terribly interested in Superman, but Lois’ history sounds fascinating.

Ladies Night at the Dreamland by Sonja Livingston. I really love essay collections, university press publications, and books about women, so this looks to be promising.

Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye. I’ve started this one, but it’s very dark (Jane Eyre if Jane were a serial killer!) and I’m taking my time.

Sister Light, Sister Dark by Jane Yolen. I’ve actually read this book before, but it was more than 15 years ago and I remember nothing other than I enjoyed it. I know I will like it and I want to boost the signal for it as a re-launch of a title that has been out of print for some time.

Through the Habitrails by Jeff Nicholson. It will be interesting to see how an early 90s social commentary comic holds up (from what I can tell, very little has changed).

After Alice by Gregory Maguire. A Christmas present (my copy is signed, which is extra cool). I love Alice in Wonderland and I also love classic story retellings, and since Maguire hasn’t let me down yet, I have high hopes.

White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi. This was also a Christmas present (from the same person, my super sneaky Secret Santa who knows just what I like, apparently), and a book I’ve been hoping to get my hands on for ages.

Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho. This one has been on my list for a few months, since it keeps getting compared to Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, one of my absolute favorites. My library hold finally came in, so hopefully I’ll get to it soon.

House of Dark Delights by Louisa Burton. This is on my list, though I don’t own it yet. I’m trying to find some well-written erotica and nothing is meeting my absurdly high standards (Anais Nin is my only love so far). (Also, recommendations highly sought).

Bonk by Mary Roach. I’ve been meaning to read something by Roach forever, and I’m always interested in learning the biological and neurological underpinnings of sexuality.

Hannu Rajaniemi: Collected Fiction. I received an ARC of this AGES ago, and just recently dipped into it and had to bump it up the TBR list.

The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell. Like Mary Roach, Vowell is a writer I’ve had on my radar for some time but have yet to try. I found a copy of this (and a couple of her other books) at the used bookstore and now they are awaiting me on Mt. TBR.

Old New York by Edith Wharton. I’m hoping to take on a sort of “Wharton project” this year, tackling things I haven’t read, but also rereading the greats like House of Mirth and Age of Innocence.

The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee. I’ve had the ARC for this for a while, as I was trying to wait until a bit closer to publication to read it. Since it comes out in early February, I fear I may have cut it a bit close to tackle it before the release date, but I’ve heard so much buzz, my curiosity got the better of me.

How Star Wars Conquered the Universe by Chris Taylor. This is the lone audiobook I’m counting, as I tend to let them sit around longer. But the history is intriguing, and this is also a book I think my husband and I will both enjoy, which is rare.

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